


Do You Hear The Silence

by IWillNotGoGentlyIntoThatGoodNight (Menochange)



Series: One shots [1]
Category: Batman - All Media Types, Batman and Robin (Comics), DCU (Comics), Nightwing (Comics)
Genre: ALL THE ANGST, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Batfamily Feels, Bruce Wayne is a Good Parent, Bruce is trying not to be emotionally constipated, Court of Owls (mentioned), Family Feels, Gen, Spyral (mentioned)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-28
Updated: 2018-06-28
Packaged: 2019-05-29 22:50:27
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,046
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15083450
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Menochange/pseuds/IWillNotGoGentlyIntoThatGoodNight
Summary: His child had grown up, the billionaire could no longer call him a boy for he matured into the young adult before him, and looking as though the burdens of the world rested upon his shoulders; if he was being honest it probably had at one point or another. Bruce knew it was his fault, Batman’s fault but he couldn’t bring himself to regret taking the boy in, leading him down this path. Not Dick, he could never regret his first child, his Robin; the boy who saved him.Set in an Alternate world where after all the shit with spiral, the robin war and the court of owls Dick stays back in Gotham, everything's great. Dick is traught... until one morning he starts feeling the "Dis" ...Enter Batdad who trys.





	Do You Hear The Silence

**Author's Note:**

> I'm going to be honest, this was a spur of the moment idea that wouldn't leave me ( I blame equal parts procrastination and sleep deprivation).  
> I have an exam in like 5 hours and had the brilliant idea to write a story before i went to bed... so here I am three hours later ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯
> 
> Also as always disclaimer: none of these characters belong to me ... if they did I would like to say they would be happy and nothing bad would ever happen but that would be a lie... it'd probs be worse just with more family feels - so it's probably for the best I don't own them ;)

Silence settled over them as they sat, occasionally sipping from the mugs in front of them. Batman was used to silence, he usually thrived in it but his companion did not. Bruce looked over at the boy, no the young man who sat across from him, eyebrows drawn together in thought as he idly stirred the sugary/milky mess he had the audacity to call coffee. His child had grown up, the billionaire could no longer call him a boy for he matured into the young adult before him, who looked as though the burdens of the world rested upon his shoulders; if he was being honest it probably had at one point or another. Bruce knew it was his fault, Batman’s fault but he couldn’t bring himself to regret taking the boy in, leading him down this path. Not Dick, he could never regret his first child, his Robin; the boy who saved him.

But Dick had always been a bubbly, open child and that hadn’t changed even now that he had somehow grown, matured before his very eyes into a man (Close friends sometimes joked that he must have made a deal with the devil, to be gifted with such an amazing child. If Dick wasn’t so bright, so remarkably good and wholesome; Bruce would actually believe it himself). So free with his emotions, so open with his love and affection, he was a child who was always doing or saying something regardless of his mood. Bruce had always been so thankful that his own dour attitude and emotional constipation (as Dick loved to call it) had never transferred over to his eldest, that the light that shined so bright within, the light that drew damaged people to him like moths to a flame (the light he used to fix them, even when they themselves believed they were broken beyond repair) had never died out regardless of the tragedies he had seen or how much time he had spent in Bruce’s care. He had always been so happy there was at least one child that he couldn’t fuck up.

Which was why Bruce Thomas Wayne; the man feared by many (foe and friend alike) as Gotham’s protector Batman, was scared. It was the silence, the very thing in which he usually treasured, thrived in was driving the detective slowly insane. Not because he couldn’t handle it but because in the presence of his eldest child, such a thing was unheard of, unnatural even especially in what should have been a relaxed setting. He honestly had no idea what was wrong, they weren’t arguing and he hadn’t done anything to irritate his son (at least he didn’t believe so, but Dick has never been one to avoid confrontation – The years in which he first took on the name Nightwing were a testament to that very fact) and the atmosphere in the room wasn’t tense it was just… silent. He had spent countless hours in complete solitude, ten days in an isolation chamber and had even spent thirty days in Thӧngal, silence shouldn’t unnerve him like this – but it did.

“Dick, is something” He started when he couldn’t reasonably take the silence any longer only to be cut off by his son who began to speak at the very same time – their overlapping words caused the dark knight to smile slightly despite himself, despite the unease that had begun to settle into the very core of his being; they had always been in sync like that.

“Bruce, I’m” They both stopped still in sync before he gestured at his son to continue. Dick looked away for a moment and Bruce felt his heart clench as the lost look that flickered upon his child’s face before it was squashed down. The young man before him squared his shoulders and lifted his head high, his blue eyes conveying everything he was trying to hid. His son was scared.

Scared of what? Of who? Of him? God he hoped not. If there was a God out there and they had any mercy what-so-ever they wouldn’t do this to him. They wouldn’t have his child, sitting only in his boxers and a holey grey T-shirt (and why on earth was his son wearing holey clothes, he was a goddamned billionaire, he could provide his children with unmolested clothing) stare him down from across the dining room table, his messy hair barely shining in the light of the rising sun as it fell slightly into those wide blue eyes muddled with emotions.

He opened his mouth, unsure whether it was to reassure his son or demand answers so that he could deal with who or whatever had hurt his kid (even if that person was himself). But Dick held up a hand stopping the words before they could even begin.

“I… Let me… This isn’t…I...” He stopped, closing his eyes he took a deep breath, visibly calming himself before he tried again “Bruce. I’m leaving”

Bruce felt his heart stop and for a moment he entertained the idea of playing dumb, laughing the whole thing off and enquiring where his son was going for the day in hopes that he could sway him from his decision, stop this before it even began. But he couldn’t, no matter how hard it would be for him to say goodbye, he had known deep down this was coming. Gotham wasn’t his son’s city anymore. And sure, he had hoped that the presence of Damian would be enough to keep his eldest son around but obviously their days were numbered from the start – now it was just a matter of breaking the news to his youngest, that’s what this was about, that’s why his son was scared.

“I understand. If that’s what you think you need to do, Damian will learn to deal with it. Bludhaven isn’t that far away.” He felt his body relax, his son wasn’t in danger (His youngest son may throw a tantrum and possibly some punches but he would never seriously hurt his eldest brother). Bruce had dealt with the separation from Dick before, the anxiety of having his son all alone in another city. The worry and fear every parent feels when their children leave the proverbial nest. He survived before, he could do it again – He was Batman.

“Bruce” The billionaire’s head shot up at Dick’s tone, a tone he only hears at the worst of times; the same tone the boy used at his parents funeral, at Alfred’s, the tone he used when he found out that Jason was dead, the one he used as he cried over Damian’s lifeless body, or when Tim was in the hospital and they weren’t sure he was going to make it. But no one was dying or dead, his son shouldn’t be using that tone – the one that revealed that the bright light his son held to be nothing but smothered ashes concealed behind a cloud of despair. His son sounded lost, venerable, alone.

His son reached out a hand pushing both their mugs aside carelessly as he sought out the warmth of his father’s palm.

“Bruce, I’m not going back to ‘haven. I don’t … I don’t know where I’m going but … I just… I know I don’t belong here anymore.”

“You do. You’re my son, of course you do!” his own voice heavy with emotion, not even realising he was practically shouting by the end of it, heedless of the house's other occupants.

Dick shook his head, tears now running down his face, and Bruce realised that he was holding his son’s hand in a death grip, he took a deep breath before releasing his hold reluctant to lose he connection but not wanting to hurt his child. It didn’t matter though because the young acrobat didn’t let go in fact he held tighter as though Bruce could or would leave at a time like this. What kind of unfeeling monster did his kid think he was?

The boy in front of him took a deep shuddering breath that wracked his whole frame. “I don’t. No don’t start, just… just listen. After everything that’s happened, both of our 'deaths', having to be batman and all that stuff with Spyral and the court of owls. I don’t… Bruce… I don’t…” He took another deep breath in, their eye’s never averting gaze. “I don’t know who I am anymore, and I… I need to… I need to figure that out... I need to learn how to be Dick Grayson again... B, I love you… I love you all so much but there’s this uncertainty, this thing… this dead weight inside me that’s … Dad it’s killing me and I don’t want to die, not again… not when I just came back” His blue eye’s begged for his father to understand but he didn’t, not really.

How could he – not when he was about to lose his son, because that’s what this was. This wasn’t Dick leaving on a vacation (if that was the case they wouldn’t be having this conversation), this was his baby leaving with the possibility that he would never return, that he would never come home. But he nodded despite the fact that his heart was ripping in two, he would support his child, it was time he returned the favour, it was time to repay the debt he owed. Who knew that one day the devil would come to collect, would come back for his angel, and would twist his vibrant little bird into the lost broken thing that sat before him – No, a voice laughed mockingly in his head, it wasn’t the devil, it was you. It was Batman. Bruce Wayne the man who used to pride himself on the fact that he hadn’t fucked up one child, only to find that in reality he had broken him the most of all.) This was his fault, this was his burden to bare, he was the one that should be punished and yet he wasn’t the one who suffered the most – Robin always paid for his crimes.

“Tell me…” Dick whispered wetly into the horrible silence that settled around them “Tell me you understand, tell me you… you don’t … Don’t hate me, please don’t”

“Dick, I don’t. I could never.” He was glad his voice didn’t falter as he pushed the words of reassurance past his lips, glad he sounded firm, reassured and not at all like his world was collapsing around him. “Come here” he commanded gently squeezing the boy’s hand before letting go. It took a moment but finally his son stood up and made his way slowly around the table to stand in front of his father face still wet with tears. Bruce pulled Dick into his arms cradling him as though he was once again a young boy and not the man he had grown into. He felt warm tears as his son buried his face into his neck as they sat there. He whispered words of endearment that had never come easy to him - but for his lost child he would do anything, even battle his own demons; if only to ease those of his son, even just a little.

They sat there curled around each other as the sun rose and the house began to fill with the sounds of the house’s other occupants waking to the world.

“Bruce” Dick finally whispered, voice stronger than before but holding none of his usual cadence. He squeezed the younger man gently in response – tightening his hold, not willing to let go as he was unsure when (‘ _if’_ the voice from before mocked) he would be able to do so again.

“I promised...” he paused voice still unsure but firmer than before “I promised Dami that I wouldn’t leave him again and that if I did leave…. Bruce, I promised Dami I’d take him with me…So when I…”

Dick was still talking, he knew he was because the billionaire could feel the younger man’s face move against his skin, feel his warm breath against his neck as he spoke, but Bruce couldn’t hear a word. All he could hear was the deafening silence as his heart was ripped violently out of his chest.   

 

**Author's Note:**

> Let me know what you think.  
> Might continue but unsure, if I did it would probs be more focused on the Dami-Dick relationship and whether he goes with him.  
> Maybe even a time skip to whatever he's doing now. Not sure atm... but we'll see.
> 
> :)


End file.
